I think this morning I might have realized a difference between 'let' Jamie out and 'take' Jamie out. I was letting her out; I'd take her out, hook her on her outside leash, and wait around (i.e. sit on the deck steps, etc.) until she'd go = let. And I couldn't quite figure out how to treat her right away then; jump up and run over to her (15' away) as soon as I'd see her going.

This morning I did the usual thing but she just kept lying down on the deck, wouldn't go the bathroom. So I put her on her walking leash, lead her over to the yard and stayed right there with her until she went = take. Then as soon as she went I leaned over and got sweet on her. If I do that every time I 'take' her outside I can have much more control as to whether or not she goes and get sweet on her (even treat her) much easier and quicker !!

I think this morning I might have realized a difference between 'let' Jamie out and 'take' Jamie out.

We call them senior moments and everyone has them, I seem to have more than most people.

I was letting her out; I'd take her out, hook her on her outside leash, and wait around (i.e. sit on the deck steps, etc.) until she'd go = let. And I couldn't quite figure out how to treat her right away then; jump up and run over to her (15' away) as soon as I'd see her going.

This morning I did the usual thing but she just kept lying down on the deck, wouldn't go the bathroom. So I put her on her walking leash, lead her over to the yard and stayed right there with her until she went = take. Then as soon as she went I leaned over and got sweet on her. If I do that every time I 'take' her outside I can have much more control as to whether or not she goes and get sweet on her (even treat her) much easier and quicker !!

Wish me luck !!

Good luck

We can only generalise when giving information, you are not thinking more and will get there, nobody knows your dog better than you do.

Somedays the penny drops and you do think 'Oh my, I am SO stupid'.. it happens to us all! Actually though, figuring out that you need to be RIGHT THERE as opposed to 15 feet away, thats quite sharp thinking, and a lot of people wouldn't have gotten that.

I have come across a TON of people who cannot fathom out whats wrong with letting their dog out and not even being outside with it, heck, not EVEN watching through a window. The dog comes in after a fun ten minutes mooching about, family goes on with their day and whoops, dog has done a Code Brown on the carpet... 'But I let him ouuuuuuuut'... Yeah sure, but what did he DO out there, you don't know, you weren't there!

You would think thats a simple sort of concept, but it really REALLY isnt, so give yourself a reward for realising that merely being outside wasn't quite enough but being RIGHT next to her is

I think that at one point we all 'stupid' when it comes to something, but in my opinion, intelligent people know when they don't know something and ask someone who does.
I always tell new pet owners to ask questions--we dog/cat/whatever critter geeks love to talk about them! We will talk your ear off about our pets. You will beg for mercy, but not get it! So ask away!

My current crew:
Bruce the Albino Dobe; Flanders the Belgian Malinut; Leela, Scuttlebutt, and Felix, da kitties.
All much-loved but not spoiled!

That's all very well, but if your dog knows what 'poo' means, and when you ask if he wants a poo he barks at you to say he doesn't, how do you say to him 'If you squeezed really hard, I bet you could do something, and then you wouldn't need a poo at 3am'?